By Titilope Adako
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested two Nigerian nationals, Nosakhare Nobore and Solomon Aluko, for allegedly masterminding a fraud scheme that defrauded the U.S. government and its citizens of approximately $50 million.
The duo is accused of developing a ‘Fraud Bible,’ a guide detailing techniques for large-scale scams, which they allegedly used to exploit COVID-19 relief funds.
According to an indictment unsealed by Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew Podolsky, Nobore and Aluko were part of a syndicate that operated between 2021 and 2025.
The group allegedly engaged in a nationwide scheme to fraudulently obtain checks and launder the proceeds across multiple U.S. cities.
The indictment also lists four other co-conspirators—Jorge Gonzalez, Leonard Ujkic, Nicholas Pappas, and Shan Anand—as part of the elaborate fraud network.
Investigators allege that the suspects stole victims’ identities to open fake bank accounts, with the help of an insider bank teller who facilitated the deposit of fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks.
These checks were linked to false filings with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and Qualified Sick Leave Wages (QSLW) credit.
Authorities say the defendants attempted to steal up to $80 million but successfully cashed out $50 million over four years.
Once the checks were deposited, the funds were either withdrawn in cash or transferred to accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Each suspect faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a potential 30-year prison sentence.
They also face conspiracy to commit money laundering, which could lead to 20 years in jail.
Additionally, they are charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, punishable by up to 10 years.
Aggravated identity theft, which mandates a two-year sentence, is also among the charges.
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